My 2 year old has Hemorrohids - a result from constipation - same old
story, stopped nursing at 10 months, then came constipation but the
end result is hemorrohids. B/C this started early for her, her diet is
one to eliminate constipation.  But, pain association with poo pampies
has made her try to hold it which worsens things.  She is now on a
laxitive (Miralax) which has increased the pain and we are seeing a
surgon soon.  I do not want surgery and I can NOT find any info on
hemorrohids in toddlers - yes she has anal fissures, too.  The hems.
are internal - PLEASE HELP US

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Clarification of Question by hineypain-ga on 13 Aug 2003 16:24 PDT

Thanks for your very fast response on my qestion.  I too have found
nothing but have learned that adult treatments,Prep h, for instance
are not appropriate for young chilren, especially for extended periods
of time. We have met with the ped. dr. who took one look and said get
her to a suregon. Also, we have gone the herbal route with no success.
 Thanks again!

Dear hineypain-ga; (I smiled at the irony of your username by the way)

Thank you for allowing me an opportunity to answer your interesting
question.

Please keep this information in proper perspective as we cannot and do
not offer medical advice in this forum. Some of these suggestions
might help you manage the situation however, for a time at least,
until you either become convinced that other treatments are necessary
or the situation is resolved. Since there are sometimes underlying
issue related to pediatric hemorrhoids, I do recommend that you avoid
undertaking these suggestions as substitution for medical treatment
nor should you ignore a doctor’s advice if more advanced medical
treatment has been recommended.

This article concerning common gastrointestinal complaints is very
informative, particularly the section CONSTIPATION (about 2/3 down the
page). Pay special attention to the subtopic MANAGEMENT in which
several therapies you can practice yourself might benefit your child:

“For the majority of cases of constipation in infants and children,
conservative therapy is successful.

REQUIRED STOOL SITTINGS - Have child sit on toilet for 15 to 20
minutes at set times during the day (perhaps after each meal) with the
goal of achieving a bowel movement every day.

STOOL SOFTENERS AND LAXATIVES - Chronic use is discouraged but may be
helpful in clearing impactions prior to implementing changes in diet
and behavior to facilitate regular bowel movements.

ENEMAS - Chronic use is discouraged but may be helpful in clearing
impactions prior to implementing changes in diet and behavior to
facilitate regular bowel movements.

INCREASE FIBER IN DIET - whole wheat breads, fresh fruits and
vegetables apple or prune juice - very useful and effective in
infants”

LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES CENTER SHREVEPORT
http://www.sh.lsuhsc.edu/fammed/OutpatientManual/PedsGIProbl.htm

As for the fissures, these too can be treated, using care to note if
the therapy is working or not and to avoid prolonging home therapy
that is not notably successful.

“TOPICAL ANALGESIC (XYLOCAINE) - for relief of pain when anal fissures
are present”

Information found at:
LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES CENTER SHREVEPORT
http://www.sh.lsuhsc.edu/index.html
With regard to anal fissures, it is important to note that even in
adults (in whom most studies have been conducted) there is no proven
benefit to topical ointments, suppositories, or even injections of
local anesthetic as a means of “curing” hemorrhoids but the
suggestions I outlined above seem to be reasonable advice, worth
trying at least, if your goal is to avoid surgery. Again, nothing here
serves to substitute for a licensed medical examination and a
physician’s advice as some cases can be indicative or other more
potentially threatening conditions.

Across the board medical professionals tend to agree that unremarkable
pediatric hemorrhoid cases (those not caused by some other disease or
defect) are most often related to dietary issues and increased fiber
and water intake in his/her diet to aid in evacuation is of paramount
importance.

MOONDRAGON'S PEDIATRIC INFORMATION
My Tummy Hurts!
http://www.moondragon.org/obgyn/pediatric/tummyaches.html


Below you will find that I have carefully defined my search strategy
for you in the event that you need to search for more information. By
following the same type of searches that I did you may be able to
enhance the research I have provided even further. I hope you find
that that my research exceeds your expectations. If you have any
questions about my research please post a clarification request prior
to rating the answer. Otherwise, I welcome your rating and your final
comments and I look forward to working with you again in the near
future. Thank you for bringing your question to us.

Best regards;
Tutuzdad-ga


INFORMATION SOURCES

UNIVERSITY OF IOWA FAMILY PRACTICE HANDBOOK, FOURTH EDITION, CHAPTER 5
Gastroenterology And Hepatology: Anorectal Diseases
http://www.vh.org/adult/provider/familymedicine/FPHandbook/Chapter05/14-5.html

MOONDRAGON'S PEDIATRIC INFORMATION
My Tummy Hurts!
http://www.moondragon.org/obgyn/pediatric/tummyaches.html

SEARCH STRATEGY


SEARCH ENGINE USED:

Google ://www.google.com


SEARCH TERMS USED:


PEDIATRIC HEMORRHOIDS

HEMORRHOIDS IN CHILDREN

HEMORRHOIDS INFANTS

PEDIATRIC “ANAL FISSURES”

INFANT “ANAL FISSURES”

PEDIATRIC CONSTIPATION

PEDIATRIC BOWEL DISORDERS

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Request for Answer Clarification by hineypain-ga on 13 Aug 2003 19:37 PDT

I'm not in need of clarification but want to thank you - the info you
sent was refreshing b/c I am at a dead end as to where to go - more
importantly -
confirmation that others have been in my shoes

thanks again

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Clarification of Answer by tutuzdad-ga on 13 Aug 2003 19:39 PDT

You are quite welcome. I look forward to helping you with questions in the future.

Regards;
tutuzdad-ga

excellent response time (30 min or less) very informative info.

I'm very sorry to hear about your daughter's condition.  I searched
briefly for information specific to children with hemorrhoids, but
found very little.  It seems as though it is fairly common, and
probably would be treated in a similar manner as those foun in adult
patients.
You say that you are seeing a surgeon soon but you so not want
surgery.  Therefore, I would reccomend that you see a general doctor
instead, and inquire about this problem.
Good luck.

-Andrewxmp

I think you are past this, but I found the following:

"Use hemorrhoidal or glycerine suppositories on a regular basis to
help heal the problem and reduce or cure the pain. See your doctor if
the pain is not better in a few days."
(http://familydoctor.org/flowcharts/533.html)

Thank you for your time!

I urge you to take your little girl to a naturopath. I know from
experience that when Vit B is lacking, then the old pains in the
posterior make an unpleasant return. There's a philosophy from a
network marketing company which states that a body that is properly
nourished is better able to heal itself. (Then they charge an arm and
a leg for their 'exclusive' foods!) I'm definitely not suggesting you
buy their stuff,but the wisdom of the philosophy is undeniable. A
simple visit to a reputable health food store with a qualified
naturopath on staff might be one way that your daughter recover from
this painful condition. Best of luck.

Hemorrhoids don't cause pain, unless they are thrombosed, in which
case it would be very obvious. Internal hemorrhoids in an infant are
probably not of significance, and in fact may not be a real finding.
But fissures are painful, and are usually due to constipation, and can
occur in infants. In the long run, the goal will be to find a formula
for achieving "normal" bowel movements. There are various ways to get
the muscle at the anus to relax. Seeing a pediatric surgeon is a good
idea; likely, surgery won't actually be necessary.

to strssedmum-
last week i took her off laxative- went back to prune juice and black cherry
and put her on an herbal med. and the complaining has almost stopped! 

 Thanks

That's great news. A good habit to engender in her is to drink plenty
of plain water and eat an apple (with peel) most days. I read an
article a while ago that stated that we simply don't drink enough
water and as a result, we have all sorts of headaches and constipation
and stomach upsets. Juice and milk, etc, are fine as extras but
getting her into the habit of drinking water to refresh and quench
thirst will also go a long way to helping resolve the constipation and
related issues. (She also won't have as the same problems with tooth
decay as her peers who drink only sugary drinks -- juice has a lot of
sugar in it.) I really hope everything continues to go well and that
she's well on the way to recovery. Best wishes.